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Now that I have a few reviews posted, I feel the need to explain my ratings so everyone is clear on how my opinionated mind works. But just a quick word on reviews first. You’ll notice I don’t ever write summaries of the books. I always link up the cover to the description on Goodreads (which, btw, everyone should create an account to. Life changing. Seriously.) but never go intro great details on what the book is about. In my mind, you can read a description of the book a thousand times in a thousand places but when you are reading a review, you want an opinion: the good, the bad and the ugly of it. I also always try to avoid spoilers. So while I may mention things about what happens in the book, I try to keep it vague because my review are geared towards people who have not read the story yet.

Ok- onward!

My rating scale is a five star rating scale stolen directly from my Goodreads account. If my review is hovering in between two different ratings, I try to bump it up to the next one and give the author the benefit. After all, writing is a shit-ton of work and I feel like maybe that half star on some obscure rarely read blog will magically make that authors life better. A girl can dream right? I mean if I had written a book I would want that half star. But I am ADDing… focus…. Here is my rating scale description.

1 Star – 50 Shades of Terrible.

I rarely, if ever, give a book a single star. I think most books have potential to be good read for the right audience. Excluding that crap that is the 50 Shades series, which disgusted me. A horribly weak protag, possessive and repulsive love interest and poor writing? It’s not even the graphic scenes that bothered me, it’s that the sex scenes are so poorly written all I see are crappy words strung together! WHY IS THE FEMALE SEX SO DUMB!?! Ima a hit bitch with the full works of Jane Austen the next time someone mentions how great that Twilight fanfic is. AHHH!

Sorry, got a little angsty there. My POINT is that when I rate things just consider 50 Shades my lowest level.

2 Stars – Very Mediocre (you MUST say this with a New York accent.)

I consider these books at the meh-why-do-I-have-to-finish-it level. These are the books that I have to pump myself up to read. I tell myself “Sydney, the faster you read it the faster you are done! Yay!” Maybe the character annoys me, the world is poorly built, my WSOD meter is stretched too far… you catch my drift.

3 Stars – Head nod worthy.

Yep pretty much sums it up. I wouldn’t buy it but I would recommend it to a certain audience.

4 Stars – I would buy it.

These are the books I truly enjoy. They are the books that I push onto other people just so I can talk about them. If I borrowed the first from the library, I would go to Half Price Books and pick up the series. I want to crawl into these books, befriend the characters. These are also the books that make me think, shift my view about things. I enjoy thought provoking books and many of the books at this level do just that.

5 Stars – Obsession.

Think Harry Potter. Inheritance Series. Graceling Series. Uglies. My favs. These are bought brand new and have a special rotating spot on my book shelf. You must read all of these books because they are the bestest ever omg-I-love-them-so-much-I-might-burst books. Totally gush worthy status.

I hope this helps! I just wanted to make sure we are all on the same page. hahaha page! Get it?! Cause we like to read! No? Ok…

“A great book should leave you with many experiences, and slightly exhausted at the end. You live several lives while reading it” – William Styron, Conversations with William Styron